Clear liquids served cold or at room temperature are the safest choice when you’re nauseous. Ginger tea, peppermint tea, diluted broths, and oral rehydration drinks all help settle the stomach and prevent dehydration. What matters almost as much as what you drink is how you drink it: small sips every 5 to 10 minutes, letting each one settle before the next.
Ginger Tea and Ginger Water
Ginger is the most well-studied natural remedy for nausea. Its active compounds work directly on the digestive tract, relaxing stomach muscles and calming the signals that trigger the urge to vomit. Clinical trials have tested doses ranging from 250 mg to 2 g per day, split into three or four servings. Interestingly, the higher dose didn’t outperform the lower one, so a moderate amount is enough.
The simplest way to use ginger is to steep a few thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, then let it cool until it’s comfortable to sip. You can add a small squeeze of lemon if the taste is too sharp. Pre-made ginger tea bags work too, though fresh root generally delivers more of the active compounds. If you can’t stomach hot liquid, let it chill in the fridge or pour it over ice.
Why Ginger Ale Usually Doesn’t Work
Reaching for ginger ale when you’re nauseous is one of the most common instincts, and one of the least effective. Most commercial ginger ales contain artificial ginger flavoring rather than real ginger. Even brands that use real ginger rarely include enough to provide meaningful relief. On top of that, a single cup of most ginger ale brands packs around 10 teaspoons of sugar.
That sugar load can backfire. If your nausea involves bloating, gas, or indigestion, both the carbonation and the sugar can make things worse. Diet versions aren’t much better, since artificial sweeteners can also irritate the stomach. If you want ginger’s benefits, go with the real thing in tea form.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint relaxes the smooth muscles of the intestinal tract, which can ease the cramping and tension that often accompany nausea. The oil in peppermint leaves has shown promise in preventing chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, and even just inhaling peppermint oil (or the steam from a hot cup of peppermint tea) can reduce the urge to vomit. This makes it a good option when you’re too nauseous to drink much of anything: hold the warm cup near your face, breathe in the steam, and take tiny sips as you’re able.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has natural antispasmodic properties, meaning it helps stop the involuntary muscle contractions in your digestive tract that can drive nausea. These effects come from plant compounds that relax smooth muscle tissue throughout the gut. Chamomile is especially useful when your nausea is tied to stress or anxiety, since it has mild calming effects on the nervous system as well. It’s gentle enough to drink on a completely empty stomach.
Oral Rehydration Drinks
If you’ve been vomiting or unable to eat, dehydration becomes the bigger concern. Plain water is fine for mild nausea, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you lose when you vomit. Oral rehydration solutions are designed to match the way your gut absorbs fluid. The World Health Organization formula uses a 1:1 ratio of sodium to glucose, which optimizes absorption through the small intestine even when your stomach is struggling.
You can buy pre-mixed rehydration drinks at any pharmacy. Look for options with lower sugar content, since excess sugar can worsen nausea. For a simple homemade version, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar in a liter of clean water. It won’t taste great, but your body will absorb it efficiently.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is a natural alternative to sports drinks, with a very different nutrient profile. One cup contains about 404 mg of potassium compared to just 37 mg in a cup of a standard sports drink like Gatorade. It’s lower in sodium (64 mg versus 97 mg) and also provides more calcium and magnesium. That potassium content is particularly helpful if you’ve been vomiting, since potassium drops quickly with fluid loss. Coconut water also contains less sugar than most sports drinks, making it gentler on an irritated stomach.
Clear Broth
Warm chicken, vegetable, or bone broth provides sodium, a small amount of calories, and fluid in a form that most people can tolerate even when solid food sounds impossible. The salt in broth helps your body retain the fluid you’re taking in rather than passing it straight through. Keep it plain. Avoid adding fat, cream, or heavy spices, which can trigger more nausea. If even the smell of broth bothers you, let it cool to room temperature first.
What to Avoid
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are a poor choice during active nausea. Coffee is mildly acidic (pH around 4.85 to 5.10), which can irritate an already sensitive stomach lining. Caffeine also speeds up digestion and increases stomach acid production. Drinking it quickly can overwhelm the digestive system and make nausea significantly worse.
Dairy is another common trigger. Milk and cream can be difficult to digest under normal circumstances, and lactose becomes even harder to process when your gut is already distressed. Anything with heavy cream, whole milk, or sweetened coffee creamers should wait until you’re feeling better. Alcohol, citrus juices, and very sugary drinks like soda or fruit punch also tend to aggravate nausea rather than relieve it.
How to Sip Without Making It Worse
The way you drink matters as much as what you choose. Gulping down even the most soothing liquid can trigger vomiting if your stomach isn’t ready for it. The approach that works best is micro-sipping: take one small sip every 5 to 10 minutes and let it settle before taking another. If even a sip feels like too much, use a teaspoon to control the volume.
Cold or room-temperature liquids are generally easier to keep down than hot ones. Strong smells can also trigger the gag reflex, so if the aroma of a tea or broth bothers you, let it cool with the lid off until the steam subsides. As your nausea starts to ease, you can gradually increase the amount you drink per sip and shorten the interval between them. The goal is to stay ahead of dehydration without overwhelming your stomach.